by S. E. Babin
We stepped into the lobby of the hotel and made our way up to the top floor. The largest suite was there, and we both knew Dionysus well enough to know he wouldn’t settle for a simple hotel room. Hermes and I spoke little, our nervousness evident enough that words were unnecessary. I feared for my life. Perhaps Hermes feared for us both. I wasn’t worried about him as much as I was for myself. Some might call is self-preservation. I called it being around for thousands of years and knowing the score.
He was Zeus’ son and even though I worked for Zeus, that didn’t offer me the protection of being his blood. Even if I were his daughter, it still didn’t guarantee my continued existence. My thoughts drifted to Artie and her attack on Hestia. My only comfort was Hestia’s actions. She threw the first blow, so perhaps Zeus would offer Artie mercy when he found out, if he didn’t already know. Then again, his relationship with Hestia was not the same as the one with Eris. Perhaps he was aware of her roaming eye. A couple of comments he’d made in the past had made me aware that Zeus understood the sometimes bloodthirsty personality underneath Artie’s geeky demeanor.
Perhaps he even understood her better than I ever would. I steeled my shoulders, adjusted my hair, and waited for the door to open. Hermes grasped my hand, gave it a quick squeeze, and dropped it. Any hint of flirtation had disappeared from his demeanor. He was all business tonight, and I appreciated it. Hermes was a rock.
I didn’t have any right to call him mine, but for now, he was here for me. It was a small measure of comfort, but more than I’d had before. The door opened a crack, but no one greeted us. We stood there for a moment, giving someone the opportunity to escort us in, but when no one did, Hermes pushed the door the rest of the way open and held it for me, although he wouldn’t let me walk ahead of him. Staring over Hermes’ shoulder, I noticed the room was suspiciously empty except for the lone figure sitting in a reclining chair, his body in shadow against the dull glow of the lamp.
Hermes allowed the door to shut with a soft snick and stepped forward.
“Dionysus,” he said.
The figure in the chair didn’t move, but a deep amused voice acknowledged him. “Hermes. I must admit I’m a little surprised to see you here. If you have a crush on this girl, I’d advise you to watch your back. She has many eyes on her right now.”
Gooseflesh crawled up my arms at his ominous words. I looked around the room, but Dionysus appeared to be the only occupant. I stepped forward and inclined my head.
“God of Ecstasy. I answered your summons.”
“So you have,” he said and stood. Every time I saw him I couldn’t help but be impressed by his sheer size. Mythology painted him as a jolly, chubby fellow but nothing could have been further from the truth. His chest reminded me of a wine barrel, large and wide. But that didn’t mean he was fat. The size of it was twice the girth of my body, but it narrowed in an obvious vee to lean hips. He was wearing a suit this evening and it set me on guard because Dionysus was normally casual, content to sit back and let everyone else take the fall while he watched in amusement. He moved into the light and I saw he was wearing an amused grin. Full lips and perfect teeth belied his true nature. His eyes were the color of aged oak, not quite like Hermes but close. Dionysus’ were darker and angrier. A strong patrician nose looked down at me as he towered above me.
“Come,” he gestured toward the balcony and Hermes and I followed him outside. His room had a spectacular mountain view. The moon sparkled brightly in the sky. I pulled my jacket tighter around me, even though Hermes stood behind me warming me with the heat of his body.
“What do you see, Abby?” He stared at me. I looked out into the night, my brow furrowing.
“Charlotte,” I said, confused. “The mountains.”
“Look closer,” he commanded.
I narrowed my eyes and looked down into the streets. People milled about casually, coming in and out of bars. Although I couldn’t make out individual words, people looked unusually…happy. My eyes shot to him.
“This is but a small measure of my power, Abby. It can be used for good or ill.”
I stared back at the inordinate number of couples walking hand in hand. Just a moment later, people began pouring out of the bars and restaurants. I felt Hermes stiffen behind me. I turned back to him, but he continued to look down. Dionysus raised his hand and smiled. Out of my peripheral vision I saw the people form a circle and stop. I turned and noticed hundreds of pairs of eyes on me. Creepy.
“Have you seen the full force of my powers?” Dionysus asked.
“I’ve seen what you can do,” I said, not wanting to feed his apparently massive ego. I stared at the mass of people, praying no one I knew was among them.
“I’m sure you have. But I want you to think of this as a small demonstration.” He waved his hands and the people in the streets began to tear their jackets off. I watched in horror as wives turned to strangers and husbands turned to other women, pawing and clawing off each other’s clothes. My stomach turned.
“Stop,” I whispered.
A soft laugh came from Dionysus. “Why? I’m not doing anything these people haven’t already thought about doing.”
“You’re taking away their willpower,” I said. I felt Hermes’ warm hand on my shoulder.
“I am a god, Aphrodite. In my presence, there is no willpower.” He watched in amusement as people began lying in the streets with each other. We weren’t at the point of no return yet, but it was close.
“For me, Dionysus. Please stop this. I can’t bear it.” This wasn’t love. It was madness, orchestrated by a man who cared for no one but himself. “Why?” I whispered.
“Because I can.” He waved a hand and I felt the magic stop as abruptly as it started. Staring down at the people I noticed their confusion as they sat up, looking around. I wasn’t close enough to see the horror on their faces, but I knew it was there.
He unlatched the balcony door and stepped inside. We followed and watched as he stepped into a bedroom. When he came out, he held a sword, sheathed in a battered silver case.
Hermes inhaled sharply. “The Sword of God,” he murmured.
My hands went clammy and I felt a soft sheen of sweat form on my face. Ares was right.
Dionysus stroked the sheath like it was his favorite puppy. “Quite right. If you thought that demonstration out there was frightening, imagine if I were wielding this.”
My patience was fraying. “Tell me why we’re here,” I said, “besides for us to see how all powerful you are.” I couldn’t help the sarcasm. We weren’t getting anywhere and Typhon was still out there wreaking havoc.
“You’re here because I want to show you the reasons why Typhon walks again.” He smiled, upping the creep factor for me.
“You admit you woke him?” Hermes pulled me closer to him.
“I never said I woke him. We only control him. The only complication so far has been Gaia. She senses when her children are disturbed.” He laid the sword down on the counter and gestured for us to sit.
So Zeus was right. Gaia was innocent in this. Her wrath over this could be worse than what Dionysus had planned. I rubbed my head. “I don’t understand why anyone would wake up something like him. Do you really hate us all that much, Dionysus?” I could never understand him like I could others. We were all driven by something, good or bad, but he didn’t seem to be driven by anything other than his own sadistic pleasures. It was disturbing and maddening. We couldn’t win if we couldn’t see the end game in sight. With his involvement, I was afraid that there might not be an end game.
“Hate?” Dionysus stood and walked into the small kitchen. “I’ve never been one to muster up enough energy to hate much. There are only a few people I hate.” He pulled down a bottle of red wine from the rack above the refrigerator. “Wine?” He held the bottle up.
My eyes stole to Hermes. He nodded, so I did, too, although I was afraid of what he might have done to the bottle before we came in. Dionysus chuckled. “Relax. The bottle i
s sealed. I assure you I’ve not tampered with it.”
That didn’t make me feel any better. I watched him pour the wine, the ruby red liquid filling the glass. It looked like blood. I rubbed my eyes, willing the images out of my head. Dionysus carried the glasses over to us. I accepted mine and gingerly sniffed the liquid. If there was poison in it, I couldn’t detect it.
Hermes laid a warning hand on my thigh and took a sip of his wine without checking to see if it was tampered with. He was brave, but I was cautious. Sometimes it amazed me he was still alive, yet Hermes was one of the most politically savvy gods of all the Twelve Olympians. Maybe it was even more amazing that I was still alive. I still didn’t know how to play all of these games.
“The only ones I truly hate are Zeus and Hera. I’ve grown weary of their reign.” He tilted his glass up and swirled it. I watched, mesmerized by the glow of the liquid and the depth of Dionysus’ dislike for our regime. “So,” he shrugged and gave me a lazy smile, “I’ve decided to change it.”
I choked on my wine. The way he made it sound was like taking candy from a baby, not wresting a mountain from two angry and omniscient gods. Mr. Dionysus was mighty full of himself. My eyes lingered on the sword still lying innocently on the counter. Perhaps he had a good reason to be cocky if Ares’ thoughts on the sword were anything to go by.
“Why?” I asked once my eyes stopped watering.
“Why indeed,” he replied and shifted in his seat. “I’ve lived long enough to see the best and the worst of the Olympians,” he finally replied. “There was little of the best and much of the worst. I’ve been chased after since I was a child and escaped death multiple times. I am shunned, hated, and reviled. For no other reason than by virtue of who I am.”
I could argue with him about that. It wasn’t just who he was but his madness for power that made him hated. “But why now?”
He smiled. “Because now I cannot be beaten.”
Hermes inhaled sharply. “Brother, you cannot mean to destroy Olympus.”
“I will do what is necessary to ensure justice against those who’ve wronged me. If wresting control of Olympus is necessary, it will happen.” He stared at Hermes, his face unreadable.
I sat on the couch, the wine souring in my stomach. Zeus had never been a benevolent ruler and his occasional madness was legendary. But Dionysus sitting upon the throne? I’d rather stab myself with Artie’s poisonous dagger than let him rule.
“Everyone has a weakness,” I pointed out.
“That’s a naïve viewpoint, Aphrodite. I expected better. I called you here to tell you to cease your probing into my business. If you stop, you will be allowed to keep your seat on Olympus.”
“And if I don’t?” I challenged. I couldn’t remember the last time the seats were used, so keeping it wouldn’t drive me to stop investigating.
“I will throw you naked into the middle of a busy street and compel every single one of the males within the city limits to do with you whatever they wish.” He toyed with the rim of his drink, satisfaction flaring in his eyes when I paled.
“You wouldn’t,” I said.
Hermes stood abruptly. “We’re done here.” He held out a hand for me and I took it, unsteady as I rose.
“Oh, goddess, I most certainly would.” He rose with us and flung a hand out to open the door. “Hermes, I do not wish you harm. Heed my warnings, Brother.”
Hermes’ lips thinned, but he nodded once and swept me out of the hotel room. As soon as the door shut behind us, I pulled away from him.
“Are you crazy?” I shouted, oblivious to the stares of a couple in the hallway. Hermes grabbed my arm again, tightening his grip until it was painful.
“Shut up and follow me.” I didn’t have much choice because he was practically dragging me across the floor. He shoved me into a corner with a vending machine and shut the door. Before I could say anything else, his magic floated over me and we found ourselves back at home, the anxious glances of Artie, Keto, and Ares meeting us.
14
Chapter Fourteen
I did away with sugarcoating it. “It’s bad,” I said. No one looked surprised. I shrugged off my jacket. Everyone settled into the living room while I hung it on the rack.
I sat beside Hermes, comforted by his warmth. “It’s what we suspected. Typhon is awake and walking, but Gaia is not involved.”
“Perhaps we should try to move Gaia to our side,” Ares said, his face thoughtful.
“I don’t think anything can move Gaia.” Artie gestured with a hand and conjured a bottle of wine and several glasses. She made quick work of the pouring.
I took one without hesitation, thankful I could drink something without worrying about dying. “And,” I took a long sip, wishing I didn’t have to be the one to tell Ares. “The Sword of God is in Dionysus’ possession.”
Ares cursed under his breath. “We must get it back.”
That was a duh kind of statement, but I let it go. This wasn’t the best time for sarcasm.
“Duh,” Artie said. I snorted and tried to cover up my giggles by taking another sip of wine.
Ares glared at her. “You truly have zero couth.”
“I grew up in the woods, asshat. Of course I don’t.” Artie saluted him with her glass and gave him a dazzling grin.
Keto watched the display with amusement but didn’t jump in. Good on him. After her recent display of crazy, even I was hesitant to interrupt her or piss her off. Ares rolled his eyes, but fortunately let it go. If someone destroyed my house twice in the span of a week, someone was getting their ass kicked.
Hermes interjected before any ass kicking could commence. “Here’s what we think. Dionysus and a sorcerer, probably Circe, are working together to control Typhon, who’s doing the gods know what to the women of Asheville. If he’s building an army, we’re going to need more help than our motley crew.”
Ares nodded. “Zeus will be disturbed to hear –”
A crack of thunder sounded in the room and I closed my eyes, praying for patience. Zeus stood in the living room, one imperious brow raised. “Disturbed to hear what?”
I sighed as I watched everyone sit up straighter. Ares cleared his throat, apparently nonplussed the King of the Gods had just popped into my house. I wished it still surprised me. Zeus popping in and out was happening way too often for my comfort level.
“Ahhh, Typhon is awake.” Ares blinked a couple of times, no doubt waiting for the explosion. Zeus had him conditioned.
“And who woke him up?” His voice boomed throughout the living room, rattling the glass knickknacks scattered throughout.
“Dionysus denies it,” Hermes said. “But he has the Sword.”
“So what do you plan to do about it?”
I snorted. You could take the man out of Olympus, but you couldn’t take Olympus out of the man. I was just glad it wasn’t me under the spotlight of his emerald glare.
“Get it back,” Ares said authoritatively.
“How?” Zeus asked and the seconds ticked by in an awkward pause.
“I’ll get the sword,” Ares said finally. “No matter what.”
Zeus helped himself to a chair. “No good warrior rushes headfirst into a battle without a plan.”
I squirmed in my seat and stayed silent. Zeus turned those eyes on me. “Besides, of course, our darling Aphrodite here. Following her is like turning on the Three Stooges.”
Snorts and giggles sounded throughout the room.
“Hey!” I glared at him.
Zeus grinned. “Save your ego. You know I’m right.”
He was right, but it didn’t mean he had to advertise it. “I still won,” I grumbled.
Zeus’ eyes darkened. “Aye, dear one. That you did.”
Hermes spoke up. “We thought about attempting to bring Gaia to our side. With her, our power base would be extended infinitely and she might have the chance to save her son.”
I blinked. “Umm, I’m not sure when this thing shifted to ‘saving�
� Typhon. I’d rather see him buried under two hundred foot of rock again.”
“Wouldn’t we all,” Artie mumbled.
Hermes sighed in exasperation. “Well, of course, but when you’re trying to recruit a powerful ally, you don’t let them in on the fact that you plan to murder their son.”
“Oh,” I said. “I guess that is a good idea.”
Ares pinched the space between his eyebrows. “Why did Zeus hire you again?”
Zeus turned his gaze on Ares. “You question my decision?”
Ares shrank into his seat. “No, sire.”
Zeus didn’t look mollified. “For all of her faults, Abby was the only one successful in shutting down Eris’ grab for power. Without her, we would not be sitting here this day. Do not question my ability to see power where others may not.” He turned to me. “And don’t think for one moment I do not suspect how much your power has grown.” He tilted his head and stared at me thoughtfully. “But the second you turn that power against me, I will crush you.”
I hadn’t planned on turning anything against him, but the threat seemed to imply he knew something I didn’t. I swallowed and nodded.
I felt Hermes shift against me. “Do you smell that?” he asked as we all turned, confused. “Fire!” He shouted as he stood. “Does anyone else smell fire?”
Everyone looked around in confusion. My front door burst open in an explosion of flames and in walked a pissed off Hestia. Wild flaming hair spiraled around her head as she headed straight for Artie, her steps faltering only slightly as she noticed Zeus in the mix.
She stopped about a foot in front of my friend, who now stood at her full height. Hestia pointed at her. “I challenge you, Artemis, Huntress of the Woods.”
I sighed. Were we really going to do this right now?
Artie smirked. “Bring it, bitch.”
Apparently we really were going to do this now. Zeus stood beside me, an interested look on his face. “What is the challenge?” he asked.
